Okay… this is set in Japan but it's my fictionalized AU Japan, which is why I have taken the liberties to mess around with the culture, geography and to some extent history of it, just a little note so you all know.

- Shiin

000

Kaoru's first sensations of waking were warmth and a faint rumbling purr by her ear. Something was draped over her and a tentative touch told her that it wasn't her cover.

Opening her eyes slightly she blinked.

"Kenshin…" she poked him gently and he raised his head, eyes sleepy.

"Hmm…?"

"Since when do you have…" Kaoru counted. "Two...three… four wings?"

"What," he blinked, his head craned around and his eyes widened.

Kaoru's fingers itched to stroke them…

"Guess the new things you'd be getting didn't include powers." Kaoru commented.

He grinned at her eyes dark and flickering, "true."

Kaoru's eyes narrowed. "That was not an innuendo don't – mph!"

When he pulled away it was Kaoru who was purring.

"Mmm…" Kenshin drew her against him and she tucked her head underneath his chin, over his heart listening to it beat. Kaoru gave into her impulse to stroke his wings. Kenshin shuddered, wings twitching slightly at her touch and then sighed and relaxed against her.

"Feels good," he murmured against her hair.

"No one's…" Kaoru said softly.

"No one touched my wings except as punishment," Kenshin's eyes were dark.

Kaoru flinched remembering the brief flash of memory she had seen.

Kenshin pressed a kiss against her forehead and she sighed.

"It's late," she murmured eyeing the clock. "Don't want to get up," she snuggled closer eyes closing.

Kenshin laughed softly and wrapped his arms around her again, wings draping over the two of them.

Warmth and the sound of his heartbeat underneath her ear lulled Kaoru back to sleep.

The sound of Kaoru's stomach rumbling woke her.

Kenshin chuckled softly, his chest vibrating against her ear.

She lifted her eyes upward and made a face at him.

"Hungry?" He asked, eyes glinting.

"My stomach is at least," Kaoru muttered.

Kenshin pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Do you want me to get you something?"

Kaoru shook her head, "I'll get up and go with you. It's no fun being in bed alone."

Kenshin kissed her temple softly and rolled away from her, wings vanishing.

"Your tattoo has even changed," Kaoru commented. It was larger spanning the breathe of his shoulders and the design of it had changed to incorporate his new wings.

She sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Kenshin tossed her a hair tie and she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. Kenshin braided his hair deftly and waited while Kaoru scrambled around for something to wear.

"Ready," she tugged at the hem of her tank-top and went over to Kenshin to give him a quick kiss. "Let's get some food."

"Mmm," Kenshin replied though his thoughts weren't on food at the moment.

Nevertheless he followed her out of the bedroom and through the hallway to the kitchenette.

Arariel was nursing a cup of coffee in the kitchenette. He looked up when they appeared, looking tired.

"Thanks for not removing the ward until six thirty in the morning," he groused and gulped down some of the coffee.

He was drinking it straight Kaoru noted with no milk or sugar to sweeten the taste.

That was probably not a good thing.

"Rough night?" Kaoru asked softly.

"If the news says anything about many people having died mysteriously… I didn't do it." He replied. "People in this century are amazingly stupid…" He avoided Kenshin and Kaoru's gazes, whistling innocently under his breath.

Kaoru glanced at the TV and thought it best to keep it turned off.

"Can't you just soundproof your room or something?" Arariel complained. "Unless you didn't stay in the bedroom all night…" He shuddered. "I haven't had enough sleep, and I don't want to think about that. Pretend I said nothing."

He flinched at Kenshin's glare and Kaoru sputtering at him. "Didn't I mention that I'm very sleep-deprived at the moment?"

"Obviously," Kaoru remarked. "Need more coffee?"

"Please," Arariel held the mug out to her and she took it and poured more coffee into it and put the kettle on to boil for tea.

Kenshin glared at Arariel again and then moved toward the refrigerator and started pulling out food to cook for breakfast.

"Here," Kaoru placed the coffee down in front of him and he snapped it up and started drinking again.

"Remember the shiny new things you'd been saying Kenshin will be getting?" Kaoru asked.

"Yep," Arariel glanced at her over the rim of the mug.

"Well they're appearing." Kaoru said.

"Fun," Arariel grinned. "Kenshin what's new?"

Kenshin glanced over from where he was scrambling the eggs and turned slightly so that Arariel could see his back.

Arariel let out a low whistle. "Four-wings, you lucky bastard."

"What do they mean?" Kenshin asked softly.

"You're father was a high-ranking angel." Arariel replied. "The more wings you have the higher in rank you are."

"Why do you have two?" Kaoru asked softly.

"Me?" Arariel shrugged. "I'm just a wielding-death-to-stupidity low-ranking nobody."

"And Kenshin has four because…?"

"Kenshin's father was either someone very highly ranked or very powerful, probably both." Arariel eyed Kenshin noting how he tensed.

"Will I be getting any more new wings?" Kenshin asked his voice even.

Arariel shrugged, "hard to tell. Your powers are unlocking. Haven't gotten any new powers have you?"

"Yes," Kenshin said.

"Oooh," Arariel's grin widened. "Do tell!"

"Teleportation."

"That's a fun one."

"Yes," Kaoru murmured softly, ducking her head.

Arariel noticed and winked at her.

"Kettle's boiled!" Kaoru leapt to her feet and grabbed two mugs and teabags and poured some of the freshly boiled water into them and set them down to steep for a moment.

Kenshin finished making the scrambled eggs and bacon and set the plates down. Accepting his tea from Kaoru, they all dug in and for several moments no one talked.

"So… Kaoru…." Arariel murmured.

"Hmm?" Kaoru asked.

"How far is your family's property from Tokyo?"

Kaoru thought for a moment, "about an hour on the Shinkansen."

Arariel nodded.

"I can get the tickets after we clean up after breakfast." Kaoru said.

"You do that while Kenshin and I clean up."

Kenshin didn't look very happy but attempted a smile and she squeezed his hand before getting up and calling the station.

For the next hour Kaoru rushed about getting her things together. Kenshin and Arariel had nearly nothing except a few books that she had bought Kenshin and Arariel's visual-kei CDs.

Kenshin tidied everything up and everything was in its place and would be waiting for their return whenever they got back from Kaoru's family's mansion.

The ridge to the station wasn't as bad as it could have been. Kenshin wasn't as tense as before either because he'd started to get used to being in car or that Kaoru was seated in his lap and letting him run his fingers through the hair.

Arariel looked to be enjoying himself, he had taken better to the modern era than Kenshin had and was constantly marveling over how efficient and productive things had become. He may think many of today's inhabitants were stupid but he had a deep appreciation for technology – mainly his mp3 player and the video games Kaoru had bought him.

Arariel drooled over the Shinkansen and Kenshin regarded with some trepidation.

Kaoru had to drag both of them onto it. Kenshin because he was saying, how it'd be easier to just teleport himself there; until Arariel pointed out that he did not know what it looked like or where exactly he was going and he could end up getting hurt as a result - and Arariel who wanted to stare it some more.

Kenshin and Arariel both took the window seats. Kenshin, so he could distract himself with the scenery and Arariel so he could gape and squeal over how fast they were going.

"Better than a car," he said.

Kenshin grunted something that sounded like an agreement.

Kaoru curled up beside him and went to sleep.

Kenshin shook her awake a short time later. Arariel was standing with her bags in his hands.

"This is the stop," he said.

Kaoru nodded and got to her feet. Kenshin wrapped his arm around her waist and the three of them exited the Shinkansen.

Kaoru pondered over what vehicle of transport to take to her family's estate. Rent a car? Taxi?

She had dismissed most of the servants after her parent's deaths. Once a week a quartet of maids went to the mansion to clean, and there was a gardener who looked after the outside but besides that everyone was gone.

Eventually Kaoru decided to rent a car.

The drive to the mansion was uneventful but tense. Kaoru – because she hadn't been back in nearly three years, and Kenshin because – well he was in a car and he hated cars.

Arariel seemed the only one to be having a good time, nearly hanging him head out the window of the car in a manner that reminded Kaoru more of a dog than the cat he had previously been.

They pulled up the gates and Kaoru stepped out of the car. There was a panel of numbers below the golden kanji that said her family name – Kamiya. She punched in the code and then pressed her hand against the scanner for it to read and identify her. Later, she promised herself she would add Kenshin and Arariel.

The outside was spotless, flowers blooming everywhere she looked. Kaoru sighed, remembering how her mother had always loved the flowers. She drove up the long winding driveway to the house and pulled to a stop in front of it.

Arariel blinked, "big house."

"Had to be," Kaoru said softly. "In my great-grandfather's time – he was the one who built it – he had thirteen children."

"What happened to all of them?" Kenshin asked.

"War... disease…death in childbirth… insanity – I had a great-Aunt Miyoko who was put into a sanitarium where she died."

"Aa," Arariel said.

Kaoru shrugged and got out of the car, the others following.

She dug around her pocket for the house-key and finally found it slipped it into the lock and turned.

The door swung away from them with a soft creak and they entered, Kaoru flipping on the lights as she stepped forward.

Now Kaoru remembered why she didn't like the house.

It reminded her of a mausoleum.

The walls were stark white and works of art hung from them. Kaoru counted them to make sure that none had been stolen in her absence. All were where they should be. She needn't bother even counting, the families of the maids and gardener had been serving hers so long they'd commit seppuku before thought of stealing anything from the Kamiya family as much as entered their mind.

Their footsteps echoed loudly and Kaoru flinched, when she was young the house had echoed with laughter and music – now the echoes just reminded her more and more that everything she had held dear to her before her parents death was gone and how alone that had left her.

Not alone anymore, since Kenshin's appearance. But she had been alone.

The house was a blend of east and west. Shoji screens and tatami mats and western-style fireplaces and beds and chair and tables.

Everything was spotless and where it should be, Kaoru mentally thanked those who had been looking after the house for her.

Kaoru brought her bags in from the car and left them in one of the guest bedrooms. She didn't know if she could sleep in her old room, and she wouldn't go near her parents' bedroom. In her mind it was still theirs - not hers. She would never have been able to sleep there.

"You ok?" Kenshin asked softly coming into the room she had chosen, where she was unpacking. "You've been really quiet."

Kaoru managed a smile, "just feels weird to be back here without my parents."

"Ah," Kenshin nodded. He opened his arms and Kaoru leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder and just letting him hold her.

There was a soft knock against the doorframe of the room and both Kenshin and Kaoru looked up to see Arariel standing in the doorway.

"I'm making tea, do you want some?"

Tea would be very welcome at this time.

Kaoru pressed a kiss to Kenshin's cheek and he let go of her and they followed Arariel back to the kitchen.

The refrigerator was empty but the cabinets still held tea – and Kaoru regarded them with some wariness – cookies and chocolate.

Mentally wondering how they had not been overrun with ants yet, Kaoru chucked the chocolate and cookies into the bin and resolved to go shopping later for food.

She accepted the tea from Arariel and sipped it, feeling herself just starting to relax.

"What's next?" Kaoru asked softly. "We look for the books?"

Arariel nodded, "sounds good."

"We need to get some food first," Kenshin said.

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him, "are you just hungry or do you want to cook?"

Kenshin grinned, "both."

"Trip to the supermarket later," Kaoru decided.

Arariel nodded in agreement.

Kaoru sighed and closed her eyes.

"This is hard for you isn't it?" Kenshin said softly.

Kaoru nodded, "I keep expecting to see my parents just around the corner."

"How long has it been?" Arariel asked.

"Nearly three years," Kaoru replied.

"And you are the last." Kenshin said softly, his eyes dark.

Kaoru read the thoughts in her eyes and her stomach clenched. The last of the Kasshin that she knew of. If she died Kenshin would be sent back to the pendant that she wore around her neck - and with no more people who carried the Kasshin bloodline alive, he would be stuck there forever.

That was the least...

If she died...

Kaoru shook her head, flinging the thoughts away from her. 'Thinking about my parents' death has made me morbid,' she thought.

She leaned against him and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Love you," she murmured softly.

He pressed a kiss against her forehead, "love you too."

Arariel shook his head, "you two are a bunch of saps," and then ducked the plate that Kaoru threw at him. He raised his hand and its descent to the floor slowed and then stopped and he levitated it back to the table where he set it down with a gentle thud.

Kaoru watched him and he grinned at her. "That will be your next lesson."

"Making things float?" Kaoru asked.

"Yep," Arariel nodded.

"Sounds fun," Kenshin tensed against her and then sighed, relaxing slightly.

"I promise to try not to send everyone flying," Kaoru joked.

"The only flying I'll be doing will be with my wings," Kenshin said but his tone was light and she smiled at him.

He was trying.

Slowly but surely.

"Mmm," Kaoru murmured. "You need to take me flying again."

"I'll do that," Kenshin promised.

"So," Kaoru turned to Arariel, "what will we be practicing with?"

"Plates?" Arariel suggested.

Kaoru eyed the plate in front of her. "Do you know a fixing spell? I'm going to end up breaking a lot of these simply because they are kitchen-type things and I don't do well with kitchen-type things."

"I do," Arariel said.

"Be prepared to use it a lot," Kaoru warned.

It ended up that he had to.

After explaining the basics of how to levitate things – basically concentrate and picture it floating – which sounded simple enough, Arariel started tossing plates into the air.

The first five all hit the ground with a resounding crash and pieces flying everywhere.

Arariel sighed and placed them back together, the cracks smoothing and disappearing and the plate now whole.

Kaoru tried again.

And again.

And again.

She was glaring at the plates now, her eyes narrowed and her teeth grinding together.

"Let's try something different," Arariel suggested. "You fix the plates first."

He handed her the pieces of the most recently shattered plate and gave her the instructions for forming it back together.

Her fixing attempts went better than her levitating attempts.

Sure the plate was bumpy and dipped in places where it shouldn't but it was whole.

They tried again.

And again.

And again.

Kaoru was swearing now, and glaring at her newly fixed plates (she was getting better at fixing them, she thought grudgingly – they now looked absolutely perfect. But it was more practice for that particular thing than she would have liked).

"If any of you laugh I am going to hurt you," she warned glaring at Arariel who had a twinkle in his eye and Kenshin who was coughing discreetly.

"Gah!" She placed the most recent disaster back together and crossed her arms over her chest, pushing away from the table. "I. Hate. Kitchen. Things."

Arariel muttered something under his breath that she didn't catch. When she looked at him he merely smiled serenely at her.

"Maybe I need to get out of the kitchen," Kaoru murmured. "It's giving me bad vibes."

Kenshin snorted and she elbowed him.

"Don't tell me you can levitate things."

"Easily," the three newly repaired plates rose several inches from the table and started twirling around.

Kaoru's glare turned evil.

She focused on the plates and they suddenly darted from where they were floating, hung over Kenshin's head for a moment and then came crashing down upon him.

He yelped and Arariel snickered.

"You haven't yet learned not to piss off Kaoru," he tsked.

Kenshin ducked his head and rubbed it gingerly.

Kaoru leaned over and kissed his cheek, "sorry."

"I deserved it," he gave her a sheepish smile.

"No argument there," Arariel quipped.

"Arariel you can repair the plates now," Kaoru said.

Arariel's face fell and he groaned.

"I'm going to order something to eat since we don't have any food in the fridge," Kaoru said. "What do you feel like?"

They decided on Chinese and Kaoru placed the order, which arrived twenty minutes later.

Happily content with eggrolls and mu-shu pork, Kaoru snuggled against Kenshin as they ate.

Arariel was opening the fortune cookies and rolling his eyes at the cheesy saying they contained.

"Did you grow up here?" Kenshin asked.

"Yes," Kaoru replied.

Kenshin tried to imagine Kaoru as a child and the image that popped into his head made him smile.

She sighed tiredly and rested her head against his shoulder, nearly falling asleep.

Carefully Kenshin got to his feet and picked her up.

"Bed for you."

"Mmm," she replied.

Arariel shook his head as he watched Kenshin leave, carrying Kaoru in his arms.

"Sure leave me with the clean up." He eyed the empty cartons and zapped them, the cartons disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Angelic powers 1. Take-out 0.

Kaoru snuggled under the covers and all but melted against Kenshin as he climbed in beside. She rolled over and tucked her head underneath his chin, wrapping her arms around his waist and sighing sleepily as he cradled her against him.

"Good night," she could feel his smile as he kissed her forehead.

"'Night," she yawned.

She was asleep almost instantly and Kenshin followed quickly behind her.

000

Kaoru woke early.

Kenshin was still asleep beside her and she smiled. The early morning light streaming through the windows highlighted the contours of his face and touched it with gold. She kissed him gently at the corner of his mouth and his eyelids fluttered.

"Good morning," she smiled at him.

"Good morning," he echoed, blinking sleepily. In the light his golden eyes were as clear and light as honey.

"It is a good morning," Kaoru said.

Kenshin arched an eyebrow, "in a good mood?"

"Yep," she grinned at him. "Could be better though."

"Oh? And how exactly could it be better?"

"I have some ideas," Kaoru said innocently.

"Good ideas?"

Kaoru wound her fingers in a lock of his hair and used it to pull his mouth to hers. "Very good ideas."

Kenshin had to agree.

A while later Arariel knocked on the door.

"Are you two lovebirds going to get out of bed sometime before noon?" He asked.

Kaoru glanced at the clock, it read eleven fifty five.

"No." She called back.

"I made cake," he replied through the door.

Kaoru blinked.

Arariel making cake.

She looked at Kenshin who stared back at her.

"He hasn't made cake before," Kenshin said.

"If it's anything like everything else he cooks…"

Kaoru threw back the covers and was out of the bed.

"Hey!" Kenshin said. "You choose cake over me?"

Kaoru sniffed the air, "it's chocolate cake Kenshin. I love you, but you're outnumbered. I can resist cake. I can resist chocolate. But I cannot resist chocolate cake."

Kenshin pouted and she leaned over to kiss him.

"Besides, there might be frosting," Kaoru said.

Kenshin pout vanished.

Frosting had possibilities…

"Fine," Kenshin said.

Kaoru grinned at him, "knew you were smart. If you tried to get between me and the chocolate cake I might have hurt you."

"As long as you kiss it better."

Kaoru laughed and darted away from him to throw on a tank top and jeans.

Kenshin finally got out of bed and they walked down the hallway to the kitchen where Arariel was placing slices of chocolate cake onto plates.

"Cake for breakfast," Kaoru shook her head.

"Considering the time it is, call it brunch." Arariel slid one of the plates over to her. It skittered past Kaoru and started falling to the floor.

"My cake!" Kaoru yelped, leaping for it.

It paused its descent and hovered several inches above the ground.

Kaoru looked up at Arariel and Kenshin, "are you doing that?"

They shook their heads.

Kaoru blinked, "it's levitating because I want it to..."

"Try lifting it," Arariel said.

Kaoru eyed the hovering plate and thought.

It rose obediently into the air and settled lightly down upon the table.

"Motivation," Arariel said with some satisfaction. "Knew you could do it."

Kaoru stuck her tongue at him and turned to look behind her. The drawer door opened and a fork levitated and zipped to her hand.

"It's like a doorway I guess," Kaoru commented, stabbing a piece of cake and lifting it to her mouth. "Once it's open and I know how to do it, it just swings all the way open."

The cake was delicious, chocolatey and still warm from the oven. Arariel must have done something to the frosting to keep the heat of the cake from melting it. She decided.

"I went shopping while you two were still in bed." Arariel informed her.

"Find what you need?" Kaoru asked.

"Mmm," Arariel agreed. "I also bought some new cookbooks with interesting recipes; I might make one or two dishes for dinner."

"Sounds fun," Kaoru commented noting the way Kenshin's eyes lit up at the prospect of food and cooking.

She shook her head.

Men.

While the two of them grinned at one another and started discussing food she cleaned up the table and placed the cake into a Tupperware container and put it into the fridge to eat later.

"I'm going to go for a walk, is that ok?"

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kenshin asked.

She shook her head and smiled at him. "I just want to go exploring. The village has changed since I left it and there are a couple new shops that have gone up. Be good, and I might bring you back something."

Kenshin smiled, "have fun."

Kaoru gave a salute. "I intend to."

000

The village bustled cheerfully around Kaoru. It had grown bigger in her absence and was now more of a small city than the tiny town she had lived in as a child.

She was stopped a couple of times by villagers who recognized her and came over to say hello and inquire how she was doing. The questions mostly consisted of 'how are you?' 'how is school?' 'do you have a boyfriend yet?' 'are you getting married?' etc. etc.

Kaoru answered what she could and avoided what she didn't feel like replying to.

A new bookstore had appeared where the old arcade had been; the arcade had moved down the street and grown twice as large. Kaoru popped into the bookstore first to buy some books. She bought Kenshin another history books and caught sight of The Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy, which she thought Arariel might enjoy and added that to her stack.

Humming under her breath she went from shop to shop, buying this and that and feeling better than she had in a long time. Tokyo was wonderful but it lacked her village's charm.

The village was situated near to the ocean, which ran alongside its series of cliffs. Kaoru had spent many a happy day there with her parents fishing or just enjoying the sunshine and playing games.

Almost without thinking about it, she found her feet taking the familiar path up to the cliffs. The air smelled strongly of salt and a faint mist covered everything.

Kaoru smiled and picked up her pace. Tokyo was wonderful and all but nothing compared to living right next to the sea.

She set her bags down and let out a sigh at the sight stretching out before her. The sun sparkled off the ocean, against the cliffs waves crashed in a seething mixture of white foam and spray that was almost hypnotic.

So engrossed in watching the ocean before her, she didn't sense anyone near to her until there was a flicker at the corner of her eye a split second before something hard crashed against the side of her head. Kaoru registered that she was falling to the ground and then everything went black.

000

Arariel eyed the bubbling soup in front of them. "Do you think we need more carrots?"

"It looks good," Kenshin shook his head. "You might want to add some more peas."

"This isn't pea soup Kenshin," Arariel protested. "It's stew."

Kenshin started to reply and then went stiff his eyes widening.

"What is it?" Arariel asked softly.

"Kaoru…"

And then Kenshin disappeared.

000

When Kenshin opened his eyes he was standing near a cliff. A snarl worked its way upward in his throat and his vision went red at the scene before him.

A black-winged angel was holding Kaoru by her throat. Her eyes were closed and skin pale, head lolling on her neck.

"Let her go," Kenshin snarled.

"Now what would be the point in that?" The other angel cocked his head at Kenshin golden eyes light. "You'd just kill me."

"You kill her and I'd kill you. Only much slower and more painfully."

"If she's dead then you are back in that pendant and you won't be killing anyone."

Kenshin took a step toward him and the angel shook his head, "no, no, no. You don't want to be doing that. Do you have any idea how easy it would be to break her next? All I'd have to do is squeeze my fingers just so…"

"I can still kill you before being pulled back into the pendant." Kenshin snarled.

The angel shook his head, "you can't."

"Do you really want to test that theory? Let her go and don't harm her and I may just let you live. You have a chance. Kill her and I'll kill you before you can blink"

The angel regarded him warily. "Fine… Take her…" Before Kenshin could react he had swung around and flung Kaoru off the cliff.

Kenshin didn't even think, he just reacted – diving after her.